Children's home run by Cambian Childcare Limited

Inspection report children‟s home: 1280629 1 Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Limited

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This is a privately owned children’s s home that is registered to provide care and accommodation for three young people, who have experienced adverse childhood experiences that have led to associated trauma and presenting complex behaviours and social and/or emotional difficulties. The manager has been registered with Ofsted since August 2018 and holds a level 5 qualification in leadership and management. The manager was away from the home at the time of the inspection.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

Inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected Inadequate

p.1

Inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers Inadequate

p.1

Inadequate

There are serious and/or widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded and the care and experiences of children and young people are poor and they are not making progress.

p.1

Inadequate

Date of last inspection: 29 January 2019

p.1

Inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

Inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children‟s home: 1280629 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

29/01/2019 Full Good Inspection report children‟s home: 1280629 3

p.2

Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

p.3

Requirement Due date

The children’s s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who— develop positive relationships with them; engage with them; and take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s s care and welfare and their lives. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— ensure that staff— help each child to express views, wishes and feelings; help each child to understand how the child’s s views, wishes and feelings have been taken into account and give the child reasons for decisions in relation to the child; regularly consult children, and seek their feedback, about the quality of the home’s s care; (Regulation 7(1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)) 16/12/2019

p.3

Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on— mutual respect and trust; help each child to develop socially aware behaviour; communicate to each child expectations about the child’s s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s s age and understanding; (Regulation 11(1)(a)(2)(a)(v)) 16/12/19

p.3

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff— assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account 16/12/2019 Inspection report children‟s home: 1280629 4 information in the child’s s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child; help each child to understand how to keep safe; understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person; take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s s welfare that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12(1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(v)(vi)(d))

p.3

Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s s home that— helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13(1)(a)(b)(2)(c)(h)) 16/12/2019

p.4

Requirement Due date

The registered person must— keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16(3)(a)(b)) 16/12/2019

p.4

Requirement Due date

The registered person must— ensure that each employee completes an appropriate induction; The registered person must ensure that all employees— receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33(1)(a)(4)(b)) 16/12/2019

p.4

Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep the behaviour management policy under review and, where appropriate, revise it. The registered person must ensure that— within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made 16/12/2019 Inspection report children‟s home: 1280629 5 which includes— the date, time and location of the use of the measure; has spoken to the user about the measure; (Regulation 35 (2)(3)(a)(iii)(b)(i)) The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (“a quality of care review”) at least once every 6 months. In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating— the quality of care provided for children; the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

p.4

Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children. (Regulation 45(1)(2)(a)(b)(c)) 16/12/2019

p.5

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Young people make some good progress in relation to their social, physical and educational development. However, this progress is seriously compromised by significant shortfalls in how staff help and protect young people and the managerial oversight of the service. Managers and staff have failed to use professional judgements to help them to protect young people from harm. This failure has increased some young people’s s levels of vulnerability and compromised their safety. Staff do not help or encourage young people to express their views and opinions. Staff do not offer young people key-worker sessions or house meetings on a regular basis. This leaves young people without a say on how they are cared for and how they can influence decisions about how the home is run. Staff ensure that young people have access to all the necessary health services. For example, staff have formed good links with the local child and adolescent mental health

p.5

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

service. The registered provider’s s own psychologist then works in partnership with these specialist services to ensure that young people’s s specific emotional health needs are met. Appropriate arrangements are in place for the safe administration and management of medicines to promote the safety and well-being of young people. Young people attend a variety of educational settings dependent on their needs and abilities. Staff work in partnership with education departments and other relevant professionals to ensure that young people have every opportunity to reach their full Inspection report children‟s home: 1280629 6 potential. Young people are encouraged to spend time with their families and carers in accordance with their care plans. This means that young people can maintain safe relationships with people who are important to them.

p.5

How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

One young person has been able to frequently climb on to a roof of a single-storey outbuilding. Preventative measures have been ineffective and there has been an over- reliance on calling out the police to get the young person down safely. The registered manager has not ensured that risk assessments are an accurate reflection of the level of risk that young people can face. This leaves staff without all the necessary information that they require to keep young people safe. The manager’s oversight of records is poor. This means that there is no challenge when staff do not ensure that all relevant information is captured in records that relate to a physical intervention or a sanction. For example, records do not include dates and times of incidents or details that staff and young people have received a debrief. Staff have been too slow in recognising the early warning signs that a young person is planning to go missing from the home. As a result, young people have been able to

p.6

How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

leave the home unchallenged and have been in situations where their safety and welfare has been placed at risk. Young people who have a history of self-harming do not receive enough help. Despite the known risks, not all staff have received essential training on helping them to understand how they should respond to a young person who may self-harm. Failure to provide staff with this essential training has left some young people vulnerable. This is because the staff do not have the knowledge and skills to recognise and to be alert to the signs that might indicate that young people are at risk of harm. Staff have not ensured that young people receive help around internet safety. One young person keeps her mobile phone with her at all times. Staff allow this to happen despite the young person’s s care plan stating she must hand in her mobile phone each evening. The failure to follow safeguarding advice means that staff do not take the necessary

p.6

How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

steps that are required to manage a young person’s s assessed risks. The manager ensures that young people are protected by effective recruitment practices. Potential staff are vetted and assessed before any appointment is confirmed. These measures promote the safety of the young people by preventing unsuitable adults from working with them. Regular fire drills help to ensure that young people know how to exit the building safely and quickly in case of an emergency.

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager and staff have failed to keep young people safe. Management oversight and monitoring of the quality of care is poor. Consequently, managers do not understand Inspection report children‟s home: 1280629 7 the weaknesses and do not act to resolve areas of risk and/or concern. These failings compromise young people’s safety. The registered manager has not ensured that staff can access appropriate facilities and resources to support their initial and ongoing training needs. For example, the home’s induction process is poor. New members of staff are often unfamiliar with young people’s care plans and their vulnerabilities. Consequently, the registered manager has been far too slow in recognising gaps in staff knowledge and addressing this shortfall. Some staff do not receive regular supervision. This prevents them from having their performance and practice regularly appraised and represents a missed opportunity to

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

discuss the care of young people and how to best meet their needs. The statement of purpose has recently been updated and reflects the ethos and objectives of the home. However, the revised document has not been sent to HMCI in order that the changes could be noted. The manager submitted a regulation 45 quality of care review. The document does not contain feedback from young people and stakeholders, nor does it contain an action plan to address improvements in the home. The independent person’s monitoring visits provide some independent oversight. The visitor makes recommendations to improve practice. However, the manager has not acted on these recommendations consistently. As a result, the manager has not used external quality assurance mechanisms to improve the quality of care provided for young people. Although the organisation’s leadership has already started to address many of the shortfalls found at this inspection, the actions to bring about the necessary improvement

p.7

Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the differences made to the lives of children and young people. They watched how professional staff work with children and young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care provided. Wherever possible, they talked to children and young people and their families. In addition, the inspectors have tried to understand what the children’s home knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people whom it is trying to help, protect and look after.

p.7

Information about this inspection

Using the ‘Social care common inspection framework’, this inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. Inspection report children‟s home: 1280629 8

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Limited

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Metropolitan House, 3 Darkes Road, Potters Bar EN6 1AG

p.8

Inspector

Dave Carrigan, social care inspector Inspection report children‟s home: 1280629 9 achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

p.8

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.9

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.9

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: http://www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.9